Nutrimetabolomics reveals food-specific compounds in urine of adults consuming a DASH-style diet

Abstract

Although health benefits of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet are established, it is not understood which food compounds result in these benefits. We used metabolomics to identify unique compounds from individual foods of a DASH-style diet and determined if these Food-Specific Compounds (FSC) are detectable in urine from participants in a DASH-style dietary study. We also examined relationships between urinary compounds and blood pressure (BP). Nineteen subjects were randomized into 6-week controlled DASH-style diet interventions. Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics was performed on 24-hour urine samples collected before and after each intervention and on 12 representative DASH-style foods. Between 66-969 compounds were catalogued as FSC; for example, 4-hydroxydiphenylamine was found to be unique to apple. Overall, 13-190 of these FSC were detected in urine, demonstrating that these unmetabolized food compounds can be discovered in urine using metabolomics. Although linear mixed effects models showed no FSC from the 12 profiled foods were significantly associated with BP, other endogenous and food-related compounds were associated with BP (N = 16) and changes in BP over time (N = 6). Overall, this proof of principle study demonstrates that metabolomics can be used to catalog FSC, which can be detected in participant urine following a dietary intervention. Human nutrition research includes controlled-feeding strategies to evaluate associations between consumption of specific foods or diets and health indicators. Recent advances in metabolomics make it possible to gather data on a multitude of foods and biosamples 1-4. Nutrimetabolomics, which represents the intersection of metabolomics and nutrition research, offers an opportunity to investigate the effects of whole diets, specific foods, and food components on the human metabolome 5. For example, Rebholz, et al. applied metabolomics to identify serum markers of participant adherence to consuming a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet 3. A novel aspect of the Rebholz, et al. study was their effort to define a panel of markers indicative of a DASH-style eating pattern. Similarly, Gordon-Dseagu, et al. used metabolomics to explore the relationship between plasma markers, sleep, and a DASH-style diet 6. These, and other studies 2,7,8 , support the proof-of-principle that metabolomics can discover and link biomarkers of food intake, from both whole diets and individual foods, to health outcomes. Controlled-feeding studies are essential for understanding how diets, individual foods, and food constituents are related to indices of human health. However, the complexity of diets, limited understanding of chemical compositions of foods, shortage of food-specific biomarkers, and personalized nature of human metabolism limit

Urine and Plasma Metabolome of Healthy Adults Consuming the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet: A Randomized Pilot Feeding Study

“…In another recent small study by Reisdorph et al (n = 19), investigators evaluated metabolic profiles of 12 foods common in DASH-style diets. They evaluated urine LC-MS metabolomics and detected many of these food specific metabolites in urine samples from participants consuming the DASH diet, particularly urine phenolic compounds from fruits and vegetables [ 23 ]. This is consistent with our finding of a higher urine phenolic acids in the DASH group which contains higher levels of fruits and vegetables.…”

From the Andes to the desert: 16S rRNA metabarcoding characterization of aquatic bacterial communities in the Rimac river, the main source of water for Lima, Peru

“…Indeed, we found thiodicarb, 3-Indolebutyric acid and benzenemethanamine derivatives in the Parac-Upper Rimac and Santa Eulalia-Parac localities. The first compound is an agricultural insecticide against some species of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Hemiptera [69], the second one is a plant hormone, an ingredient in many commercial horticultural plant rooting products and a food-specific compound that was detected in human urine [70], and the third one is commonly used for the manufacture of plastic. Further sampling efforts should also consider the interaction between microbiota and chemical pollutants, product of anthropogenic activities [16].…”

Dietary Management of Heart Failure: DASH Diet and Precision Nutrition Perspectives

“…Abbreviations: J Card Fail-Journal of Cardiac Failure; AJCN-American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; Sci Report-Scientific Reports; Hypertension-Journal of Human Hypertension; MNFR-Molecular Nutrition & Food Research; RCT-randomized controlled trial; M-male; F-female; GC-MS-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; LC-MS-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Two recent small, controlled feeding trials of the DASH pattern demonstrated metabolites specific to the DASH diet and food-specific components reflecting the intervention diet [91,92]. In a HFpEF study using targeted metabolomics, a controlled DASH sodiumrestricted diet resulted in metabolite changes correlated with ventricular contractility and inversely with ventricular stiffness, suggesting metabolically beneficial effects due to dietary modifications [90].…”